Improvement in locking switches



W. BUCHANAN. Looking-Switches;

Patented Oct. 23,1877.

Inventar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BUCHANAN, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKING SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,428, dated October 23, 1877 ;l application filed October 20,1877.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM BUCHANAN, of Yonkers, in the coimty of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switch Moving and Locking Mechanism, of which the following is a speciiication:

Figures l and 2 are top views of my switch moving and locking mechanism. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on the line c c, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

This invention has for its object to simplify the means for adjusting the switches of railroad-tracks; and consists, principally, in combining with themoving switch a heart-shaped vibrating lever, whereby the switch can be moved to and automatically locked in its termin al positions.

By this means I dispense with the more complicated devices which were heretofore employed for the like purpose.

In the drawing, the letters A and B represent the outer rails of two converging tracks, and D D are the switch-rails, which are united in a pivoted frame to join either with the track B or with the track A, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The rod a', which connects the two switch-rails D D,is provided with two projecting lugs, b d, which are either on its upper or lower face, preferably the latter.

E is a heart-shaped lever, pivoted to one of the sleepers or immovable fixtures, e, so as to be between the two projecting lugs b d. By a suitable link or rod, f, the lever E is connected with suitable mechanism F for vibrating it on its fulcrum g. At the end of each of the convex edges of the lever E is a straight short edge portion, h,the two straight portions L standing nearly at a right angle to each other, as shown in the drawing.

In order to move the switch from the position shown in Fig. l to that which is shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to vibrate the. lever E, and crowd it against the lug b, thereby bringingthe switchv against the track A, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the straight portion h of the edge of the lever bears against the straight edge of the lug b, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and 'thereby locks the switch; in fact, it cannot be moved into its other position until after the heart-shaped lever E has been turned to carry the switch into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which it also locks said switch, by contact of the straightedged portion h with the straight face of the lug d. rIhus a simple motion of the lever or mechanism F will suffice to move the switch, and to lock the same in either of its two positions.

Instead of placing the heart-shaped lever E imder the rod a, that joins the switch-rails, I may place it under or over a rod that extends irom the switch, and is not between the two rails thereof; and, in fact, I do not confine myself to any particular position of said lever E and lugs b d.

The movement herein described is intended to simplify the interlocking system heretofore employed of using two separate levers-one for movin g and 011e for locking the switchand can be attached to a hand-switch, and is used on the principle described in my Patent No. 183,041, of October 10, 1876.

I claim as my invention- The combinatiomin a railway-switch, of the heart-shaped lever E, having straight edges h 7L, with the lugs b d and with the rod a, that connects with the switch D, substantially as herein shown and described.

l WILLIAM BUCHANAN. Witnesses:

ERNEST C. WEBB, J. C. TUNBRIDGE. 

